There’s a beach to the west of where I’m staying that I want to check out called La Toc. It should take about 30 minutes to walk there.
My walk to the beach included a view of the Castries cruise ship terminal. Three ships in port. Yikes!This one is massive! Good thing I’m avoiding town today.Encountered these pretty plantings along the walk.La Toc BeachThere is a Sandals resort on the beach. One of three Sandals on the island!All the beaches on the island are open to the public. So Sandals has security positioned along the perimeter of their property to make sure interlopers such as myself remain on their side of the line. (Can’t blame them, actually)This abandoned building is in a beautiful location at the edge of the beach. Too bad it has been left in disrepair.On my way back to the apartment now. This is the George Charles Airport in Castries.
Travel Note: I should have done some better research when I was planning my transportation to St. Lucia. I searched solely for the lowest airfare. However, when taking into account my 85 USD taxi ride from the main airport in the south, it might have been better to pay more for a flight to the Castries airport.
I’m now back at the little harbor by my apartment. This is a view from the beach.And a couple interesting homes adjacent to the harbor.I think I’m going to take my stuff back to the apartment and return here for a swim!
Saturday, February 18 – St. Lucia
I mentioned previously that there is a produce market in Castries on Saturday mornings. So, I’m off! (and will probably roam around other parts of the town too)
The market is very popular!And fishmongers too!Offloading a fresh catch to take to the market.This is the Choc Cemetery located to the north of town. It’s huge!And it’s in a beautiful location – adjacent to Vigie Beach.Vigie BeachThe Castries Airport is also located right next to Vigie Beach.Spotted another Olympic Committee office during my roaming around (remember Grenada?). Sadly St. Lucia hasn’t matched the success of Grenada (or, more accurately, one track athlete from Grenada!). They have not won any Olympic medals.
Sunday, February 19 – St. Lucia
Today I’ve hired a driver to take me around to some areas of interest to the south of Castries. Marius was recommended to me by the Airbnb hosts, and has some good reviews online.
No cruise ships in the Castries port this morning. That’s a good sign; means the places we are going to visit today shouldn’t be very crowded.Marigot BayHadn’t seen this before – rolled ice cream being sold near Marigot Bay. Thin strips of ice cream are placed on the cooled table top, rolled, and then inserted into the cup. Mmmmm…This was our next stop along the way. (3 USD entry fee)A little too touristy for me.This is Sulphur Springs Park (9 USD entry fee)
The park is home to a volcano that has more than 20 bubbling pools and steam holes that produce a strong sulphur odor.
The volcano hasn’t erupted since the 1700s; likely because it continues to let off steam (according to my tour guide).The ridge in the background is part of the volcano’s crater.The park also includes a mineral bathing pool, but I passed!Entering the town of Soufriere. The Pitons are in the background (more on those later!)A pretty waterfront.
Soufriere is the oldest town in St. Lucia, founded by the French in 1746.
Church of the AssumptionWaffle cone with strawberry and banana ice cream. Not as good as in Grenada, but not as expensive either! (2.60 USD)The Tet Paul Nature Trail. This is a guided hike that leads to spectacular views of the Pitons. (10 USD for the hike and guide)The view of the coast is a little hazy today.A baby pineapple!Gros Piton
The Pitons (Gros and Petit) were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. They were formed by a volcanic eruption 30 to 40 million years ago.
The hike took about an hour for the round trip. (Our guide is in the blue shirt)​Petit PitonOur final stop was Anse La Raye, a cute little fishing village.I like the colorful homes!
This was a fun day. I like driving around and seeing the different communities on the island. Marius picked me up at 9am and dropped me off around 5pm. The cost for the 8 hours was 200 USD. Fair, I think, based on what I paid for shorter tours on Barbados and Grenada. And it just reinforces the fact that the 100 USD I paid for the volcano hike on St. Vincent was a bargain!
Fuel Price Check: I’ve passed by some gas stations while walking around Castries, but haven’t been able to see any prices, either via a sign or displayed on the pump. I asked Marius though, and he told me that the cost is 18.50 ECD per gallon. That works out to 6.85 USD /gallon. That kind of explains the high cost of being driven around the island!
When we returned to the apartment my Airbnb hosts were outside so I ended up talking to them for a little bit. Well, a short time later they dropped this off for me – homemade caribbean soup with fish and chicken. It was delicious! Thank you so much!
Great pictures, UT! Also, I remember someone on my bus from the airport to our hotel saying that they looked into the Castries airport and it was thousands of dollars to fly into! It doesn’t seem like the most accessible airport, but maybe there were better deals from another island.
Great pictures UT! Beautiful!
Thanks Holly!
Tim thanks for sharing the pictures of the Piton and the sulphur spring park.
You’re welcome Georgina. Thanks for the note!
Great pictures, UT! Also, I remember someone on my bus from the airport to our hotel saying that they looked into the Castries airport and it was thousands of dollars to fly into! It doesn’t seem like the most accessible airport, but maybe there were better deals from another island.
Thanks for letting me know Kait. I feel better now!